Chourasia’s 12-year-old grandson Subham Koshal was fatally hit by a dumper at Morabadi on Tuesday morning, which happened to be the 10th birthday of the younger one, Ashish Koshal.

Sitting in a room of his under construction house at Bhuiyan Toli in Garikhana on Wednesday, Chourasia remembered Subham and tried to understand the shock of Ashish.

Both brothers studied at St Xavier’s School, Doranda, the elder in Class VI and the younger in Class IV.

“Subham learnt cycling and got a new cycle on May 19. He promised to teach Ashish how to ride it as a birthday gift. Subham and Ashish were very close. On the morning of May 20, Ashish’s birthday, both the boys and their father Deepak left with the new cycle towards Morabadi. Subham had gone just a little ahead on the two-wheeler near Nigam Park, while Ashish and Deepak were following him on foot, when a dumper hit the cycle from behind,” said the grandfather.

The tragedy unfolded within seconds.

Subham was thrown off the cycle and the dumper, still running, mounted on his face and head.

The boy died on the spot. Though he was rushed to RIMS, Bariatu, it was only a formality.

“Ours was a happy family. I don’t know why destiny is so cruel,” said the octogenarian grandfather.

The driver of the dumper managed to flee the accident site.

Shailesh Kumar, OC of Lalpur police station, under whose jurisdiction the accident site falls, said the dumper had been seized.

Subham’s father Deepak, who runs a medicine shop near BIT Extension Centre in Lalpur, is too shocked to speak.

Had it been a normal day, he would have lighted up candles on the cake of his younger son.

Instead, he oversaw arrangements for the cremation of his elder son.

Mother Sushma and brother Ashish were faring no better, said family members.